Design Patterns
Design patterns are proven solutions to common software design problems. They encapsulate best practices, improving code maintainability, scalability, and flexibility. Understanding them ensures that teams build robust, reusable, and efficient architectures.
Key Design Patterns
1. Creational Patterns – Managing Object Creation
These patterns help instantiate objects while keeping code flexible and decoupled.
- Factory Method: Encapsulates object creation, allowing subclasses to decide which class to instantiate.
- Abstract Factory: Provides an interface for creating related objects without specifying concrete classes.
- Singleton: Ensures a class has only one instance, useful for shared resources like configuration or logging.
2. Structural Patterns – Organizing Components Effectively
These patterns focus on composing classes and objects into larger structures.
- Adapter: Enables incompatible interfaces to work together.
- Decorator: Dynamically adds behavior to objects without modifying their structure.
- Proxy: Controls access to an object, adding security, caching, or lazy initialization.
3. Behavioral Patterns – Managing Communication Between Objects
These patterns dictate how objects interact and delegate responsibilities.
- Observer: Implements publish-subscribe to notify dependent objects of state changes.
- Strategy: Encapsulates interchangeable algorithms, promoting flexibility.
- Command: Encapsulates requests as objects, allowing queuing, logging, and undo functionality.
Benefits
- Scalability – Patterns like Singleton prevent redundant instantiations, while Strategy ensures adaptable logic.
- Maintainability – Reduces code duplication and simplifies modifications.
- Team Efficiency – Provides a shared vocabulary, improving communication and onboarding.
- Future-Proofing – Facilitates extensions and modifications with minimal refactoring.